The Golden State Warriors offseason has started, and they are in a tough spot regarding forward Jonathan Kuminga, who will be a restricted free agent this offseason.
Kuminga, 22, averaged 15.3 points in 24.3 minutes per game this season. However, his minutes were drastically reduced after he returned from an ankle injury that cost him to miss 31 games from early January to mid-March. With Jimmy Butler joining the team in a February trade, Kuminga found his role had changed, creating an even more complicated situation for head coach Steve Kerr.
“It’s a tricky one because Jonathan obviously is gifted and wants to play a bigger role and wants to play more,” Kerr said in a podcast interview with San Francisco Standard columnist Tim Kawakami.
Kerr noted the situation has been challenging due to the amount of minutes each starter wants to receive.
“For me, I’ve been asked to win,” he added. “Right now, (Kuminga is) not a guy who I can say I’m going to play 38 minutes with the roster that we have.”
Steve Kerr Draymond Green
Head coach Steve Kerr (left) and forward Draymond Green (23) of the Golden State Warriors.
© Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images
The Warriors coach noted that Stephen Curry and Butler receive the majority of the minutes. Curry averaged 32.2 minutes this season, while Butler averaged 30.6.
“Steph, Jimmy and Draymond (Green) put the puzzle together that way and expect to win,” Kerr continued. “All I do is try to win. That doesn’t necessarily mean everybody will be happy, whether it’s the fans, the players or management.”
Meanwhile, Green has a different opinion on the matter. Before giving his take, he defended Kerr and drew some things from his coach’s statement on Kuminga.
“One being he said, ‘With this roster that we have, I'm not sure.’” Green said during Friday’s episode of “The Draymond Green Show.” “He didn’t say that Jonathan Kuminga can’t play 38 minutes anywhere and that he couldn’t be a successful and impactful player to potentially reach his promise. He said with this roster.”
However, the 35-year-old didn’t fully agree with his coach’s opinion on Kuminga's playing time with the current Warriors roster.
“I don’t know that I necessarily agree because you just haven’t seen it,” Green added. “And so, I’m not of the mindset that something just doesn’t work that you haven’t had a chance to see much of.”
The Warriors forward added that one thing about his coach is that he does what he thinks is best, even if that means receiving criticism due to it.
“We’re talking about the same legend that didn’t play Jayson Tatum in the Olympics and dealt with all the flack that came with that,” he continued.
Although Green disagreed with Kerr, he understood his decision to reduce Kuminga’s playing time and offered guidance to his teammate.
“But if you're (Kuminga), you have to make the best decision for you,” Green said. “You gotta put yourself in the best position that you could put yourself in.”
The Warriors forward believes that Kuminga should not respond to Kerr’s statement and should not publicly discuss it until after free agency ends.
“In this situation, (Kuminga) got to be careful because Steve Kerr’s the legend and one of the greatest coaches we’ve seen,” he said. “He could say something, but it could be the wrong thing. He could only lose here.
Regarding free agency, Green added, “If I’m (Kuminga) and I’m in his shoes, I heard it, and I need to move accordingly.”